Condor Watch Talk

Something else

  • Shiphrah by Shiphrah

    In this picture a large bird flying above, mostly black, some white underneath, condor? Vulture?

    Posted

  • wreness by wreness moderator

    Interesting find! I think we're all so horrified looking at this rotting horse that there could be a Bigfoot on the side, wearing a Hawaiian shirt and we wouldn't see it.

    It looks a bit compact for a raven and way too small for a condor. A Black Phoebe has a white breast like this but I'm not sure of the size since it's in the air. I will ask our Scientists - and I know they will love any excuse to look at this horse photo, too >:)

    Posted

  • vjbakker by vjbakker scientist

    I like black phoebe, but will ask a few more expert birders. Isn't it interesting that the non scavenging birds seen at carcasses are often flycatchers (esp Say's phoebe). I can well imagine this horse attracted quite a cloud of flying insects!

    Posted

  • vjbakker by vjbakker scientist

    Project scientist Alex pointed out that the white appears to be reflected sunlight off the glossy black feathers of a raven, and the overall body shape/gestalt is raven-like. So we're calling this raven, which makes good sense given the crowd that's gathered in the photos.Mythologically, raven is a great shapeshifter, but here's why - he messes with our sense of color and size.

    Posted

  • wreness by wreness moderator

    Very neat 😃 Thanks!

    But the issue now is that you have me thinking of all the many, many bugs out here at this site, which, while a fact of Life and Science, was something I really didn't need to be thinking about every time I saw The Disgusting Rotting Jello Horse. Along with trying not to think about this other ...thing...that has presented itself in the photos.

    Looking forward to the Bigfoot in the Hawaiian shirt.

    Posted

  • DZM by DZM admin

    I just want to stop seeing it auuughhhh

    Posted

  • wreness by wreness moderator

    My question, now that I have thought forward from the bugs, and hey! we forgot maggots! is: when they finally had to go retrieve this thing after however long - how in Hades did they pick up whatever was left and take it away? It's not like small carcass parts you can stuff in plastic bags. How did you get within 60' of it without passing out? Were HAZMAT suits involved? Did they have to cordon off the streets as they took it to disposal, like when they move the shuttle to the launch pad?

    Maybe we just have to wait for the photos 😮 The suspense is maddening.

    Posted

  • DZM by DZM admin

    Maybe they just let it rot forever?

    If so, these photos are going to get even worse. Or maybe better? Maybe less gross as they more and more stop resembling anything identifiable?

    Posted

  • myraf by myraf scientist

    Okay, I will post a question to the field biologists as honestly I have no idea what happens to good 'ol trigger- and not that I really want to know -- but for the good of the project, I will ask.

    Posted

  • CatchATiger by CatchATiger

    I just read that the very first video on the internet to go "viral" was one of a dead, massive beached whale. Instead of researching the problem or asking another costal state, or even another country who had experience in this matter, how this was usually achieved in a safe manner they decided to blow it up with explosives. They figured most of it would vaporize only leaving smaller bits for the gulls to finish off.

    Too much explosive was used causing it to rain giant hunks of whale all over the place, pelting the spectators and actually denting cars. The horse is the beached whale of CW so we have to follow through in the name of Science.

    Probably more of a good thing, DZM. When someone gets one of the photos it certainly starts a discussion. It's so rare to find a group which can bond over mutual repulsion. 😃

    Posted

  • DZM by DZM admin

    I suppose if there were any group that would bond over gross dead rotting things, it would be condor fans.

    But even the condors want nothing to do with the horse!

    Have we outdone them? 😄

    Posted

  • wreness by wreness moderator

    ...and yet the ravens continue to hold mosh parties on the thing, complaining that no one has shown up to crack the thing open for them yet.
    Did you ever see those YouTube videos of a hyena breaking though the skin of a dead hippo and blammo! the thing explodes?

    From what I was told, the horse wasn't what the condors were used to being given at the site as far as food - they were usually given cow carcasses. Whether they were confused by a horse suddenly showing up or there were other major predators around that spooked them away weren't known (so far I think we've only seen a coyote and 1 eagle show up briefly) Condors do eat horse carcasses but something just was "off" at this site. So from that, I gathered that it eventually had to be removed mostly uneaten. Yum!

    This is where the logistics of moving a 700 pound haz-mat issue begins so yes inquiring minds want to know. 😄

    Posted

  • myraf by myraf scientist

    okay, comment back from the head condor biologist in Southern California about the fate of our equine friend: "I'm not exactly sure. I don't think it was ever fed on so in the end it slowly decomposed and the we removed the desiccated carcass and buried it. "

    So, looks like we have anticipation to watch it slowly decomposing - the fun never ends on CondorWatch!

    Posted

  • wreness by wreness moderator

    Thanks Myra!

    Well. That means we probably have about 800-1000 photos to look forward to if the ravens kept using it as a meeting hall.

    Maybe something interesting ends up happening. I don't want to think about it 😄

    I guess that means it'll get "more gooder", DZM! 😃

    Posted

  • DZM by DZM admin

    Thanks for that, @myraf ... might make an interesting Daily Zoo post sometime. Preferably using some of the less gross images!

    I am very happy that my job description does not include "removing and burying horrible bloated uneaten horse carcasses."

    Posted